Telephone...tag you're it

     Do you remember the game"Telephone" most of us played as children?  We would line up side by side, whisper something totally silly in one person's ear, they would whisper what they thought that they heard in the next person's ear and so on down the line.  You were not allowed to repeat it and by the time it got to the end it was nothing like the original message.
     I have used this method of illustrating the importance of accurate communication in classes that I have taught.  It is easy to feel, "If I say it, they should be responsible for understanding it."  Or "They should know what I meant."  My children learned early on that if I did not turn and have eye contact with them that I probably was not listening to what they were saying.  They learned to make sure that they got my full attention.  I did the same with them as I was competing with TV, phone or radio.
     Communication is 50-50.  Everyone needs to take responsibility for what they say as well as what they hear.  There are some simple techniques that can aid in this process.
1. Make eye contact when speaking or listening.  Facial expressions and body language help us to understand and remember the message.
2. Avoid doing multiple tasks when you are supposed to be listening.  Multi tasking is not conducive to listening and learning.
3. Repeat or summarize the communication for the sender so that you both know what was said is what was heard.
4. Do not be afraid to ask questions to clarify the information.
5. Do not be afraid to repeat anything that has been misunderstood.
6. Make your communication thorough, but not overly detailed.  The message can get lost in too many details.
7. Be sensitive to the age of the person you are communicating with.  Use verbiage that is consistent with their age. 
8. Speak slower with an older person.  Their brain does not process information s fast as it used to.  Give them time to hear what you have said and formulate an answer or question.
     If something is misunderstood, look back to figure out where the breakdown took place.  This can help you to identify how this individual hears information,  This can help you to provide information in a more effecient way the next time.  Stop playing telephone tag.